Power-transmission mechanism for motor-vehicles.



F. N. ROEHRICH. POWER TRANSMISSION MECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26, NHL RENEWED MAY 16- I9l6- 1,209,337, Patented Dec. 19,1916.

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APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26, I911- RENEWED MAY 16. ISIS- Patented Dec119,1916.

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FRANK N. ROEHRICH, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

POWER-TRANSMISSION MECHANISM FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. is, 1916.

' a Application filed December 26, 1911, Serial No. 667,687. Renewed May 16, 1916. Serial No. 97,959.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK N. ROEHRICH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jersey City, in the countyof Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Power- Transmission' Mechanism for Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is a specifica- This invention relates to power transmission mechanism more particularly designed for-motor driven vehicles, such as automobiles, of the type wherein a resilient or cushioning structure is interposed "between the wheels and the body of the car in such a manner as to revent the jar of the wheelsbeing communlcated to the car body.

The principal object of my present invention is to provide between the running wheels of the vehicle and the power or driving element therefor,a transmission mechanism of novel construction which, while permitting free vertical movement of the wheels relatively to such element, will, nevertheless, insure uniform and effective transmission of the power from the latter to the wheels.

With this and other objects in View my invention, as generally stated, consists in the I provision of relatively-movable supporting structures for the running wheel and the driving element and a plurality of crank and link connections between said wheel and element.

' My invention also consists in various fea-- tures of construction andorganization which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the annexed drawings I have illustrated a preferred form of embodiment of -my invention, and while I shall point out in detail the structural features of the mecha- 1 nism shown, it is to be understood that my the line 44 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing the exterior of the casing and the resilient connection for the houstransverse vertical section as on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

1 indicates the rear running wheels of a motor vehicle, such, for example, as an automobile, which wheels are herein illustrated. as borne by stud axles 2 journaled in bearing structures 3.

4 designates the power or driving element consisting, in the present instance, of a sectional drive shaft equipped with the usual differential gearing 5.

6 indicates two supporting structures in which the outer ends of the respective shaft sections are journaled, such structures being sustained by the frame of the car in any suitable manner. In the present instance the structures 6 "are represented as affixed to the differential gear case 7. I

The structures 3 are connected with the adjacent shaft supporting structures 6 so as to be vertically movable, or substantially so, with respect to the latter, and resilient connections, such, for example, as pneumatic cushions or air-bags 8,. are interposed between the adjoining structures so as to prevent the jar of the running wheels being communicated to the body or frame of the vehicle.

Each-of the-structures 6, in its preferred form, includes a side member 9 ,havin a horizontal bearing portion 10 for the adjacent shaft section 4, (which portion may be equipped with a ball-bearing as 11), and a cap-like member 12 bolted to.,the outer side of the member 9 and constituting therewith a housing; while each of the structures 3,

in its preferred form, similarly includes a side member 13 having a horizontal bearing portion 14 for the axle 2 of the adjacent running wheel. (which portion may be provided with a ball bearing as 15), and a caplike member 16 bolted to the inner side of the member 13 and constituting therewitha housing.

The side member 13 of the structure 3 is pivotally connected with the adjacent side of the housing 12, as, for instance, by means of the pin and boss construction illustratedat 17, and the housing 13 is formed and arranged to encircle rotatively a circular bearing surface 18 onthe housing 12, whereby onestructure has capacity for oscillatory movement relative to the other.

' Supported by each structure 3 is a seat 19 ings comprising said casing. Fig. 6 is a for the pneumatic cushion or other resilient body 8, and formed on or bolted to the adjacent structure 6 is an overhanging arm 6- which rests upon such body. Although the seat 19 may be directly formed on or affixed; to the structure 3 to partake of the arc-like motion of the latter, yet I prefer to construct and mount the seat in such a manner that its motion will be practically vertical during the oscillations of the structure 3. ,Accordingly I make the seat in the form of a lateral extension on the upper end of a vertical arm 20 which is pivotally hung on the bearing portion 14 of the structure 3, and -I provide the inner end of the extension with an upprojecting lug 21 which is pivoted to a wrist block 22 sliding in a suitably-disposed vertical guide way 23 in the adjacent structure 6.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the com-Elementary structures 3 and 6 constitute, in e ect, a closed box or casing comprising two relatively movable housings with a resilient connection therebetween. Within these housings the active devices for efficiently transmitting the motion from the drive shaft to the wheel are mounted and thereby concealed and protected. These devices comprise two corresponding crank disks 24, 25 fast on the inner ends of the drive shaft and axle respectively, a crank disk 26 rotatablymounted in-a suitable bearing in the structure 6, and a plurality of link connections 27 between the sides of the disk 26 and the respective disks 24, 25.

In the present instance the disk 26 is supported peripherally by ball bearings 27 in the structure 6, and three links are provided for each'of the disks 24, 25. All the links are of equal length, and those of each set are pivoted at one end thereof to the disk 26 at equi-distant points from the center of the latter, and at the other end to the drive or axle disk, as the case may be, at equi-distant points from the center of such drive or axle disk; each of the links in the construction illustrated being correspondingly offset as at 28, in order that they can freely an efl'ectually pass each other during thelr operative travel. By this construction it will be seen that during the operation of the drive shaft the motion is transmitted uniformly and positively by the disk 24 and its I links to the intermediate .disk 26, and from the latter through the other set. of links and the disk 25 to the axle; and thatthismotion is effectually transmitted from' the drive shaft to the-axle irrespective of the oscillatory vertical movement of the wheel and axle with relation to the axis of the drive shaft resulting from the resilient connection between the supporting structures for said axle and shaft.

The transmission device herein shown and described is believed to be new per 86 and to be susceptible of a wide range of use, and

ber, and a. plurality of link connections be-- tween the last-named crank member and the other crank members.

2. In power-driven mechanism for motor vehicles, the combination with a runningwheel, a support therefor, a driving element, a support therefor, and resilient connections between said supports, of a plurality of crank and link connections between said running wheel and driving element, said connections including succeeding crank members and a set of transmissionlinks of equal length between the same, said links being arranged to travel in intersecting paths when the driving element is actuated.

3. In a: power-driven mechanism for motor vehicles, the combination with a running wheel, a driving element, pivotally connected supports for said wheel and element, and

a resilient connection between said supports, of a plurality of crank and link connections between said running Wheel and. drivin element, said connections including succee ing crank members and a set of transmission links of equal length between the same, said links being arranged to travel in intersecting paths when the driving element is actuated.

4. In a power-driven mechanism for motor vehicles, the combination with a running wheel, a support therefor, a driving element, asupport therefor, and resilient connections between said supports,- of a crank member for the driving element, a crank member for the running wheel, a crank member mounted to rotate in one of said supports, and a plurality of link connections between the last named crank member and the other crank members. I a

5. In a power-driven mechanism for motor vehicles, the combination of a running wheel, an axle therefor, a driving element, a housing provided with a bearing for said'axle, a housing provided with a bearing for the driving element, said housings being associated to permit their relative vertical movement,'res1lient connections between the said housings, and a plurailty of vcrank and link connections between said running wheel and driving element, said connections including succeeding crank members and a set of transmission links of equal length between the same, said links being arranged to travel in intersecting paths when the driving element is actuated. 6. In a power driven mechanism for motor vehicles, the combination of a running wheel,

an axle therefor, a drlvlng element, a housing provided with bearing for said axle,

a housing provided with a bearingfor the driving element, said housings being pivotally associated .to permit their relative vertical movement, resilient connections between the said housings, and a plurality of crank and link connections between said running wheel and driving element, said connections including succeeding crank members and a set oftransmission links of equal length between the same, said links being arranged to travel in intersecting paths when the driving element is actuated.

(7. In a power-driven mechanism for motor vehicles, the combination of a running wheel, an axle therefor, a driving element, a housing provided with a bearing for said axle, a housing provided with a bearing for the driving element, said housings being associated to permit their relative vertical movement, resilient connections between the said housings, a crank member on the driving element, a crank member on the axle, a crank member mounted to rotate in one of said supports, and a plurality of link connections between the last-named crank member and the other crank members.

8. In a power-driven mechanism for motor vehicles, the combination with a running wheel, a driving element, pivotally connected supports for said wheel and element,

said supports being pivotally connected to named, support being provided with a mem- ,ber resting on said body.

FRANK N. ROEHRICH. Witnessesz.

J on)? E. PRAGER, ALBERT W. GIBBS. 

